Day -7: tokyo

tokyo is so much fun.
i've lived here for a total of 3 years, and every time i come, it feels as though i left just yesterday.
i miss tokyo life.

unlike hachijo or maui, there's not much green here.
cement jungle has it's own appeal though, and when mixed with a great amount of nostalgia, the scenery can even appear beautiful.
compared to other cities that i've lived in, the appeal of tokyo lies ultimately in it's safety.
there's a sort of freedom that you have, knowing that somehow you'll be safe.
small police stations are well within walking distance, cops are sweet and they take care of you.
customer service is of highest quality, and no one is out there to steal your money.
hotels and internet cafes can be found anywhere, bars open til the first train (5am), no need for a car, no need to for a dd, and 24-hour conbinis supply everything that you'll ever need (even underwear).

being in tokyo is like having a smartphone.  i know, weird analogy...
i'm still a new owner, but the iphone has allowed me so much freedom.
no longer do i have to memorize directions, print out google maps, answer urgent e-mails before taking off, and make sure everything is packed before every departure.
with an iphone, i can think to myself "somehow it'll be ok.  i possess the power to figure it out."
i leave my home with confidence.
tokyo to me, is like an iphone built into the whole city.
here the facilities, transportation, stores, and people work together to empower me.
every time i step out of my brother's apartment in shimokitazawa, my heart is filled with excitement just thinking of all the things i can possibly do.

tokyo, family, friends

of course it has its faults (and so does owning a smartphone), but i'll save that for later and enjoy being here with my old friends.

Day -13

Day -14: Thank You

all packed now, ready for the pre-trip: two weeks in japan.

upon packing, i realized that many of the goods that i've been using for travel and daily life have been given to me by my friends and family.
every piece brings back memories of that person...and it somehow makes this trip that much for meaningful.

i'd like to thank the following people (in no particular order):

• Peter Dae Lee - for the huge backpack (although i bought it)
• Edna Koyama - for columbia gear that i still use
• Erin Wong - almost all my red travel stuff, raybans
• Kaily Tamaye - leather moleskine cover, leather luggage tag, SD card, book
• Jen Baik - fountain pen
• Tomomi Kurita (Taro) - leather pen case, thermos
• Wisa and Franco - buying me 50 postagrams (awesome)
• Kris Bergstrom - my travel shoes
• Don Jones - green feather for my hat
• Tony Jones - SD cards, man purse
• Val Jones - SD cards, chocolate
• Preston Jones - SD cards, hypermac mini
• Linda - SD cards
• Alex Hudson - SD cards
• Yous - SD card
• So Ohigashi - SD card
• Pear Urushima - Eye-Fi SD card
• Katsuji and Julia - awesome outerwear
• Katsuji - SD cards
• Yoriko - travel utensils
• Tomotaka Ida - gloves
• Dad and Mom - sleeping bag, towel, packing zip-locks, so many more
• Dad - for inspiring this trip 
• Mom - fixing up my pants and hat

thank you.


i'll depart tomorrow (or more like in 6 hours) for japan.
plans for next 3 weeks:
2/23 - 3/7: stay in tokyo, do taxes, read, practice, meet friends and family
3/8 - 3/11: visit tohoku region (where dad went to volunteer)
3/12 - 3/13: visit Julia and the Asano family in ishikawa
3/13 - 3/15: travel down south to shimonoseki
3/15 or 3/16: ride ferry into korea

okaaay, ASIA here I come!!!!

Day -15: Packing and Magic Number 7(?)

one more full day until i leave for japan.
honestly, a bit overwhelmed with taiko workshops, tying loose ends, buying gifts, reading, and packing.

i'm planning on hauling one trekking backpack along with a man-purse (satchel) for this trip.
trying to minimize the stuff that i carry and came across a weird, yet crucial question:

"how much underwear do i pack?"

i know the answer should depend on our itinerary (will our hotels have laundry facility?),  the amount of time spent in each location (do we have time to dry our clothes?), and how much space i have in my backpack (probably the only given).
since we sorta want this trip to be random and sporadic, we're purposefully(?) not booking accommodations yet.

just taking a wild wild guess, i think the magic number is SEVEN.  like, a week's worth of undergarment.
it'll allow us to stay in one location for 3-5 days without having to do laundry, and at the bare minimum, we'd have to wash and dry our clothes about eight times within two months.
please comment below if you have any suggestions.

in the meantime, this is for myself,

BACKPACK packing list:

• electronics
• electricity converter/adapter
• international converter
• international usb outlet
• camera (grdIV and cx3)
• chargers for both
• grd viewfinder
• grd hood adaptor
• three conversion lenses
• quad-pod
• kindle
• usb cable
• iphone
• usb cable
•  hypermac mini (usb battery pack)
• cable
• ipod(?)
• sd cards
• sd card reader (i actually don't know why)
• 500gb photo storage
• cable (same as hypermac mini)
• writing material
• moleskine journals
• five blank
• leather cover
•  writing equipment
• pencil(s)
• pen/refills
• sharpie
•  planner
• paperwork and official documents
• passport
• international driver's license
• japan rail pass
• korea rail pass
• immunization records
• wallet
• wad of cash
• credit cards
• clothes
• 7 underwear
• 7 t-shirts
• 7 pairs of socks
• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 pair of outdoor pants
• 1 pair of thermal pants
• 1 thermal top
• 1 down jacket
• 1 outdoor rainproof jacket
• 1 tight hoody
• 1 pair of outdoorsy-hiking'ish shoes
• 1 pair of swimming trunks
• 1 cap with hidden compartment
• 2 body hidden body wallets (leg, waist)
• 3 air-tight clothing bags
• 1 nice shirt (for the ladies)
• toiletry
• same as always
• sleeping bag
• granola and nuts (for emergency purposes)
• thermal liquid bottle
• first-aid kit
• music
• metal fue
• 1 pair of bachi
• anything else?

Day -16: to gain...

today, i went to my best friend's baby-shower (Shohei and Yukimi).
Yukimi is due mid-March.  unfortunately my travels will take me far away from here, and i won't be around for the welcoming of a very important new life.

Shohei and i are like brothers.  our parents new each other before we were even born.
why i chose to become a taiko player is directly influenced by our shared passion.
for me, this baby girl will be my first real step in becoming an "Uncle."
quite sad to know that i will be away...

「得るは捨つるにあり」
"to gain is to throw away"
a quote i encountered while watching a japanese documentary last week.

it's not that i'm throwing away the experience of being there for Shohei and Yukimi when the girl arrives.  it's not that i don't care.
but at a certain point in time, my father and i decided to make this trip happen.  more and more, we realize that it is an important one to take.

we'll probably miss out on a lot of things.  i'll lose close to all of my savings.
for now though, we want to dream such dreams, make such decisions, and make them happen in full force.

people often think that i'm indecisive, all over the place, and "not settled" when i should be.  i'm already 30.  i've worried quite a bit about this too.
but somehow recently, i think not.
when i'm ready to marry the one i love, make my own family, live in one location and grow my roots, i'll hopefully have enough experiences to know that it IS what i want to do.

so for now, sorry Shohei and Yukimi.  my heart is with you three.
may you have a lovely and safe delivery...

Yukimi and Shohei (in the background)

Day -17: Mom

so what about mom?
mom will stay at home.

when i told her about our travels, she just said "oh yeah?"
end of conversation.
i'm sure she was sad, and my father especially was (and still is) worried about her being alone for a total of 6 months.

i felt it not in my position to talk to her much about the subject and hoped for dad to eventually sort things out and make her feel comfortable with just the two of us taking this trip.
and i guess he did.
we're now able to talk about our travels without awkwardness.
supposedly dad promised to take her on a trip to see one of the major tennis opens the year she turns 60 :)

i've asked her to customize my pants so that they can turn into draw-strung shorts.
she's now working on making one of my favorite hats into a super-travel-hat by adding hidden pockets within the inner-lining.

thank you mom.
we'll make sure to come back safely...

mom adding draw-string

Day -18: Project 3162

this year, i turn 31.  my father turns 62.

2012 marks the year when my father is double my age...when i am of the same age as him, when i was conceived.

my father had always dreamt about visiting ruins created by the earliest civilizations.  but during his time of youth and valor, he was too busy trying to make money for his family.

so here we are now. Toshi's passion + Yuta's youth = Project 3162

we're embarking on a journey that is to last up to 6 months, around the world.

2 months throughout Asia in the Spring.  and 4 months throughout South America, Africa, Middle East, and Europe in the Fall.  of 2012.

Plan:

• Visit as many ruins as possible
• take photos of the same location/subject/experience and create a photobook

Currently Preparing:

• travel equipment
• backpack
• firstaid kit
• travel-friendly clothing
• etc
• vaccines
• yellow fever
• tourist visas/paperwork
• india
• china 
• international driver's license
• photo equipment
• the perfect travel camera
• found it: Ricoh GRD IV
• SD card reader/storage device
• SD cards to send back home 
• 50 SD cards obtained through the love of family friends. (thank you)
• books
• read as many travel books as possible, purchase the crucial ones on kindle
• purchase amazon "kindle"
• local contacts
• e-mail all friends in the area
• call my teachers in japan
• establish other connections via friends/facebook

i'll keep posting.  any advice and words of encouragement are greatly appreciated :)

from the Jones

from the Yous